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Looking for a volunteer(s)

For those of you who have followed my endeavours to write a book about the convicts aboard the ship named Mangles, you may be pleased to know that I have now managed to complete a first substantive draft.

I know it is not finished, but I am at the point where I could do with some other input to give advice as whether I should:

(a) give up;
(b) tidy it up and print it,
(c) carry on adding to it and review it again in say 6 months,
(d) significantly reduce the volume that I currently have, or
(e) something else I haven't thought of.

The draft is something like about 110,000 words or 170 pages.

I was wondering whether there is anyone who would be prepared to look it over, not read it from cover to cover, and give me their views. What I am looking for is a sort of peer review.

I would love to read but just haven't the time due to work...tax returns!!!!!

You have my sympathy............... End of year never a good time!

But you have proved that two heads are better than one:

The way that I have formatted the book so far is that there is an initial introductory part which gives some back ground and general facts and that covers about 6 pages, and the second part of the book are the pen portraits for each of the 236 convicts. These range in size from about a third of page to perhaps a page and half.

So if it would help anyone who might be minded to volunteer their time and assistance I could breakout the introduction and say 10 - 20 of the stories, with whoever volunteers nominating the convict numbers (i.e. between 1-236), so that I don't select the ones that I know are more "entertaining" than others.

Hi Megan
I wouldn't mind trying to help you after Christmas is over. I can do it early morning/at night working around the 4th chapter of renovations.
Would it get a bit messy letting any volunteer(s) choose their own stories? Why not just start at the beginning and hand them out in the order they appear in the book. Maybe each person should also get the introductory pages so that they are aware of the background to these people's stories.
Christina

Megan, if you’re short of people, ask again in the 2nd week of January. That’s when the celebrations are over and people are starting to look for ways to pass the cold days...
I’m currently packing to head for the ferry and a family Christmas.....

To all those who have offered help in the new year, many thanks, and I will take you up on your kind offers then, as there is no great rush.

Now that we are in the New Year, if anyone is still interested in reading a couple of sections for me and giving me their views, please PM me with an email address so that I can sent you those sections.